The Assam edition of the North East India Fashion Week, building up for the premier fashion event’s 3rd edition in Itanagar later this year, will be held in Guwahati on August 26.
Introducing the third edition of the North East India Fashion Week at the Guwahati Press Club on Tuesday, the organizers of the premiere fashion event, Affluent Ray of Light (ARL), said that the latest season will be bigger, brighter and will showcase some of the best talents from the industry.
Affluent Ray of Light is a non-profit organization dedicated to globalize the social and cultural aspects of the different tribes of north east India.
The Assam edition of the event, christened ‘The Khadi Movement – Assam Edition’ at Assam Engineering Institute Field, Chandmari in Guwahati on August 26, will be an insight to what’s in store for the guests at the three-day fashion extravaganza in Itanagar later this year. The event is conceptualized to inspire and encourage the upcoming handicraft artisans and designers of the region who are working exclusively towards the promotion of north east fabrics and culture.
The Assam edition of the show will witness the participation of over 50 designers and indigenous weavers.
Speaking on the occasion, chief operating officer and founder of Affluent Ray of Light, fashion designer Yana Ngoba said, “ARL is committed to support upcoming and established talented designers from the region. We at ARL, along with our partner NGOs, aim to help these weavers and designers from the region to create a niche for themselves. We are working in the field of training, marketing, skill development, capacity building, cluster development, and promotion of handicraft artisans of the region for the last 7 years. The North East India Fashion Week is a reflection of this journey.”
Highlighting about the Assam edition of the fashion week, Jack Taniya Budh, chief operating officer for the Assam edition, said that the event is a prelude to the grand showcase that awaits fashion enthusiasts in Itanagar later this year. “A designer’s instinct to grasp and create the best of his/her surroundings into an artistic expression, by weaving the stories of nature, comes from a deep understanding and passion of a creative relationship. The NEIFW is a movement to provide a congressional platform to tell the stories of nature and connect the world through tale-telling clothes and creations. Come and witness the nature’s stories through yarn and beads in Guwahati,” said Jack Taniya Budh, chief operating officer for the Assam edition of the North East India Fashion Week.
Talking about the relationship of fashion with tourism, Yana Ngoba said, “We desire to make a unique and positive contribution through fashion design. Tourism has vast potentials in the north east India region and if fashion can be integrated with tourism the overall industry will see a lot of positive change. We at ARL are trying our best to promote fashion tourism or culture tourism and explore the possible role the fashion industry can play in North East tourism sector.” Yana added that ARL’s moto of promote and support the yarn makers, weavers, designers and craftsman will help the northeast culture tourism industry.
ARL believes that it is very important to preserve the north east region’s rich fabrics, traditional handlooms and handicrafts, and very few of the designers from the region are making an effort to do so. Their mission is to promote and preserve the vast variety of indigenous textiles and crafts that are slowly losing popularity amongst the younger generation, through fashion shows and help create business and branding opportunities for industries directly or indirectly engaged in retailing handloom, textile fashion and life.
The weavers and designers who will be participating in the Guwahati promo are:
Arunachal Pradesh Weavers
1) Ratan Yak
2) Hibu Ollo
3) Tine Mena
4) A Tamuk
5) Hanyir Riba Ete
6) West Kameng Weavers traditional collection by Helping Hand weavers (NGO)
Arunachal Pradesh Designers
1) Nabam Chunkap
2) Milli Indira Dangngo
3) Dolly Moyong
4) Arang Biri
5) Tasso Lily
6) Ratan Utte
7) Angie Ngoba Chakpu
Assam Weavers
1) Roslyn Tokbipi
2) Krishna Sonowal
3) Dimonty Basumatary
4) Dimasa weavers’ collection by Dimasa tribe weavers
5) Tiwa weavers’ collection by Tiwa tribe weavers
6) Missing weavers’ collection by Missing weavers
Assam Designers
1) Anju Hazarika
2) Uday Kherkatary
3) Archana Kabra
4) Sunita Bora
5) Chitraleka Nwear
6) Rohila Engtipi
Meghalaya Designers
1) Rupert Lynrah
2) Laltha Biki
Nagaland Weavers
1) Thekrunei-u-Shuya
2) Zubeni Kikon
3) Yatela Pongen
Nagaland Designers
1) Gloria Ovung
2) Menty Jamir
